Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Tens of thousands of faithful begin stoning the devil in Mina
Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims began hurling pebbles at three huge stone pillars before dawn yesterday in the symbolic stoning of the devil, one of the final rituals of Haj which has drawn more than two million people to Makkah.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 January 11, 2006
Mina, Saudi Arabia: Tens of thousands of Muslim pilgrims began hurling pebbles at three huge stone pillars before dawn yesterday in the symbolic stoning of the devil, one of the final rituals of Haj which has drawn more than two million people to Makkah.
On Monday, the mass of pilgrims made the climactic ascent to Mount Arafat to pray for salvation, and Saudi Arabia's top cleric called for Islamic unity in the face of what he called the West's war on Islam.
After offering prayers on the mount, tens of thousands of the faithful rushed down the hill to the Muzdalifah, a few kilometres away, where they collected pebbles to use in the ritual stoning, which stretches over two more days. "Thanks to God I am done with the first stoning, it was easy and I managed to hit the devil," said Abdul Bassit Amro who had travelled from the Philippines. The seven pebbles thrown at the pillars yesterday were from 49 collected by each pilgrim, with 21 of the stones to be cast both today and tomorrow.
At the summit of the mountain, pilgrims pushed and shoved to get near enough to embrace a sacred pillar. Helicopters hovered above the plain dotted by pilgrims all the way from Makkah to the base of the mount to keep watch against the overcrowding which has spawned stampede trage-dies in the past.
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